Insurgency in Northeast on decline as security forces break backbone of terror outfits, says Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Insurgency related violence has declined in the Northeast as the security forces have made huge progress in containing the activities of militant groups, with over 900 arrests and 52 terrorists killed, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday.

Singh said the security forces have been able to break the backbone of the Bodo insurgent group NDFB(S) and as a result, insurgency related violence has been on the decline over the past three years of the Modi government.

He said as many as 911 NDFB operatives were arrested, 52 were neutralised and a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered during the period.

"We have taken effective action against National Democratic Front of Bodoland/Saoraigwra or NDRB(S).

“There have been sustained counter-insurgency operations against them. Their back-bone has been broken," PTI quoted him as saying during a presser.

Singh said sustained security initiatives during the last three years have brought peace and stability to the Northeastern region of the country after decades of insurgency.

The number of insurgency incidents was lowest in 2015 since 1997 and further reduced in 2016. He said in 2014 there were 824 such incidents, in 2015 the number came down to 524 and last year it was further reduced to 484.

The civilian casualty in the Northeast has come down drastically. In 2015, there were 48 civilian deaths which has come down to 46 in 2016.

In 2008, there were 466 civilian casualties, Singh said while briefing reporters on the achievement of the Home Ministry in the past three years.

The number of kidnapping incidents in the region have also substantially declined.

There were 369 such incidents in 2014, which came down to 267 in 2015 and further reduced to 168 last year.